REI Ultra Light Rain Jacket

REI Ultra Light Rain Jacket – Affordable and comfortable.

Thanks to the warm weather here, for the last few weeks I have been talking about how important good warm weather gear is to have. People always make such a fuss about colder weather gear, and with good reason. But if you ask me, warm weather gear gets the short end of the stick. People don’t realize how much of a difference good warm weather gear can make. Why? because when people get uncomfortable in warm weather gear, most of the time they just chock it up to being hot. Did they ever stop to think that maybe it was their gear that was making them hot? The piece of warm weather gear I want to talk about today is the rain jacket. More specifically, the REI Ultra Light Rain Jacket.

Before I even go into the features of the, I want to say that the price tag of this jacket is what really first caught my eye. So many rain jackets that are light weight and offer basic protection are super expensive. Either that or they are so basic that they aren’t worth buying. The REI Ultra Light Rain Jacket however is a happy medium between the two. At around a hundred bucks, the jacket is very affordable for what it is.

The thing about warm weather rain jackets is that you probably won’t use them all that much, so you don’t want to spend a lot on them, but you want a lot from them. In my opinion, a good warm weather rain jacket such as the REI Ultra Light Rain Jacket really only needs to o two thing; keep you dry and keep you comfortable temperature wise. Cheaper rain jackets tend cook you from the inside out, but this rain jacket offers plenty of ventilation and breathability.

The quick & dirty:

Where you can get one:
REI.com: $80

Why they rock:

• Waterproof, breathable 2.5-layer REI Elements/nylon ripstop with microporous polyurethane coating is seam-sealed for complete protection
• Windproof to 60 mph
• Two-way mechanical stretch allows increased range of motion so jacket feels remarkably comfortable over bulky layers like fleece
• Fully adjustable, zip-off brimmed hood stores inside collar; when you zip off the hood the neck flap covers the zipper for a clean look
• Bonded front placket keeps wet weather and wind from penetrating; features rip-and-stick neck closure and hem snap closure
• Brushed collar lining is soft against skin
• Pit zippers let you vent body heat quickly
• Hem drawcord and elastic cuffs with laminated adjustment tabs help seal out the elements
• Chest pocket has water-resistant, bonded zipper with a garage to protect the head while two zip hand pockets feature bonded plackets
• Includes a 4 x 9 inch stuff sack

Seat-of-the-pants rating: 9 out of 10

You definitely get a great rain jacket for the amount of money spent. I wouldn’t trust the REI Ultra Light Rain Jacket to keep me dry and comfortable in the rain forests of Costa Rica, but it’s not designed to. It is designed to be a back up rain jacket for those times when you aren’t really expecting rain. But should you get caught in rain and want a jacket that will keep you dry and comfortable; the REI Ultra Light Rain Jacket is what you want.

Looking to Buy? Check out these sites:
REI.com: $80